One simple call would provide a lot of soothing

For many Blackhawks fans, it remains the crossing of the Rubicon, a deliberate act of war for which they still have not forgiven the team.

It is the day the Wirtz family sent Bobby Hull packing.

If you weren't around in 1972, it may be a bit hard to understand how something that occurred 35 years ago could have such a lasting effect on the franchise.

But it does.

Some fans swore never to return and haven't, and it remains the single greatest act of fan encumbrance for a team with a spectacular history of dumping on its faithful.

Those days, thankfully, are now over, but for some it won't end until amends are made with Hull, the greatest star in franchise history.

The '70s were bad enough without Hull, but at the end of the decade when the team had an opportunity to bring Hull back at the close of his career, GM Bob Pulford -- who didn't like Hull from their playing days -- made sure it was only a tease.

After the WHA merger, Hull was back with the team on paper for four days, but Pulford left Hull off the protected list for the expansion draft, keeping a spot warm for the likes of Alain Daigle, and Winnipeg reclaimed Hull, adding another painful chapter to the saga.

After that, Pulford passed on numerous opportunities to bring in Brett Hull, mostly because he didn't want his father hanging around, and Hawks fans had to watch as Brett Hull scored 741 career goals and won two Stanley Cups.

The Hull name still looms like a black cloud over the franchise and its fan base, and it's the first name mentioned when fans relive their worst nightmares.

It may sound like a cliché to say the team has never been the same, but it really hasn't, and with a new owner and team president at the top, it's time to fix it.

Pay him a ridiculous sum, have him put on a jersey, drop the first puck, and say what should be the new marketing phrase, coined by John McDonough last week:

"It's time to come back.''

The Hawks have a lot of apologizing to do to former players and employees, but they have to start with the fans.

Having Bobby Hull stand in the lobby, shaking hands and signing autographs, would be the single greatest olive branch since the dove returned to Noah.

Just as he couldn't have removed Pulford or put home games on TV while his father was alive, neither could Rocky Wirtz have put in a call to Bobby Hull, but now he can.

Rocky's off to a brilliant start, but his franchise is haunted, not by a curse but by the disappearance of a legend, by the ghost of the Golden Jet.

That pain still exists.

The relief is a phone call away.

Just ducky

Consider how many times in the last five years that Hawks owners, execs and coaches have embarrassed former coaches, players and employees with unflattering remarks on their way out the door.

There's that, and then you have the class of the defending Stanley Cup champs in Anaheim, who didn't just welcome back former goalie Ilya Bryzgalov last week, but also treated him to a video tribute in their rink while the fans gave a standing ovation to a player who won nine playoff games the last two seasons.

That kind of class has been sorely lacking at the UC, but given time, John McDonough will turn that around, too, and make the Hawks a dignified group again.

Just don't expect it overnight.

Saving grace

Since being picked up on waivers by Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, the 27-year-old Bryzgalov was 4-0 and had given up just 5 goals heading into Wednesday's game at Minnesota.

The Coyotes face the Hawks at the UC on Friday (7:30 p.m.), and that will mark the second of 11 televised home games this season.

Knuckle-dragging

Only a Neanderthal could find humor in the death of Sean Taylor, but we're told that the murder of Taylor in front of his baby daughter has brought out some incredibly inhumane drivel from the illiterate set.

Whatever the circumstances of his killing, Taylor leaves behind much family, including his father -- a police chief in Florida City -- and a 1-year-old daughter who will have no memory of her father other than to someday discover the bloody headlines of his murder, learning that she and her mom escaped death by inches, hiding under the covers in the same bed only a few feet away.

That's funny?

Stocking stuffer

If you think $5 million a year is a lot to pay Scott Linebrink, all you need to do is look at what happened to the White Sox' bullpen this year and you realize that setup guys are only in recent years starting to get paid their genuine value.

Just asking

Doesn't it make sense for the Cubs to pick up Alex Cintron as infield insurance?

Dialing

ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning'' asked NBA Commissioner David Stern if he could fix the Knicks. Replied the commish, "Fix them? … My God, they have a two-game winning streak.''

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Charlie Weis excited Notre Dame will be picking at the top of the draft.''

And finally …

Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel: "Bad news for Michael Jordan is that he has to pay his ex-wife more than $168 million in a divorce settlement. Good news is that (1) he can afford it and (2) he'll still never be called for traveling.''